AGONY OF THE FEET: Trusty Tails Looks at Pet-Friendly Ice Melt

A winter storm is brewing! Hoboken, are you hunkered down yet? If you’re reading this, you may have already been to the store for milk, eggs and bread. If not, what are you waiting for? But wait, not so fast…did you pick up a few bags pet-friendly ice melt?

You heard me right, PET FRIENDLY ice melt is a must! You might be thinking, what’s the big deal? Here’s the deal folks, not all ice melt is created equally and some of it is down right dangerous for your dog!

First things first – just because a bag of ice melt is labeled as pet-safe or pet-friendly, doesn’t necessarily make it so! There are many companies that SEEM to cater to the pet conscious, pet parent but there are those that have their hopes set on the not-so-savvy consumers who do NOT read labels.

What’s in a label, anyway? You might be thinking “Salt is salt, what’s the big deal?” Severe gastrointestinal upset may occur if your dog ingests rock salt. In fact, it could be even more serious than that. Your dog may suffer from seizures if he ingests a large enough amount of rock salt. That’s not all. According to Dog’s Naturally Magazine, rock salt pellets, when mixed with water and then stuck to your dogs paws, heats up! Are you thinking “How hot?” How hot is too hot, may we ask? It’s hot enough to burn your poor dog’s paws at 170 degrees Fahrenheit.

Ready to read those labels yet?

Simply put, avoid these chemicals: chloride, colorants (unless they are of human/food grade), calcium magnesium acetate, urea, modified crystalline carbonyl diamide and last but not least, eco-safe glycol. All of these chemicals will compromise your dog’s safety! Additionally, if it’s not safe for humans, it’s assuredly not safe for your dog, so be sure to read those labels!

No matter what ice melt you choose, always keep a close eye on your pet. Investing in a pair of booties and/or washing your dog’s feet off when he comes in out of the snow is your best bet. Even if you have pet friendly ice melt, your neighbors may not!